DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY. 109 



MEXICO. 



From Mr. L. H. Ay me, of Oaxaca, was acquired a large collection, 

 consisting of obsidian flakes and cores, a hammer-stone, polished celts 

 (one 11 inches in length), polishing-stoues, implements with two flat, 

 deeply-striated faces (Fig. 18),* small stone pendants, a large stone slab 

 with deep notches on one edge, a fragment of a pestle, a well-polished 

 disk-shaped ear-pendant of jade (pierced near the rim), fragments of 

 worked alabaster, a piece of stucco, beads made of entire shells either 

 pierced with a hole or truncated at the apex, a large pierced shell 

 (Strombus), a shell bead, a shell disk with central hole, fragments of 

 shells, and a large number of calcareous pebbles of unknown use. 

 Further, a number of stone carvings , namely, two large human figures 

 (one very well executed), a human head with widely-opened mouth 

 (part of a figure), a tiger's head (part of a figure), and small squatting 

 figures (human) pierced for suspension. 



GUATEMALA. 



Mr. Miles Rock, of Washington, D. 0., presented a boulder with a 

 face rudely carved on it from the ruins of Saculeo, near Huehuetenango, 

 a place supposed to be the ancient capital of the chiefs of the Mam In- 

 dians ; and also the greater part of a stone disk, exactly a foot in di- 

 ameter, having carved on it in relief a humau head with an elaborate 

 head-dress. It may be intended to represent the Sun. This specimen 

 came from an altar in the ruins of an ancient temple on the summit of 

 Cerro Ixbul, 40 miles southeast of Oomitan, Mexico. 



NICARAGUA. 



Mr. W. W. Evans, of New Eochelle, Westchester County, N. Y., 

 sent a large block of tufa, to all appearance of volcanic origin, which 

 shows two impressions of small human feet, evidently produced while 

 the tufa was in a plastic state. The material replaced by the feet has 

 risen and forms a kind of ridge around the tracks. The history of this 

 highly interesting piece is not yet known, but will soon be communi- 

 cated. 



UNITED STATES OF COLOMBIA. 



By Mr. J. A. McNiel, of Panama, was sent a large collection from 

 Indian graves of Ohiriqui, State of Panama. The collection is com- 

 posed of trimmed flakes, arrow and spear heads, chisels, polished celts, 

 metates of various shapes (some in the form of animals), rubbing-stones, 

 baking-plates, a human stone figure (female), a human figure rudely 



* These stones resemble the wooden bark-beaters used by the South Sea Islanders 

 in making tapa-cloth, and probably also were used by the Mexicans for making bark 

 cloth or paper. I was informed that the people in Mexico employ at present these 

 stones, which appear to be frequent, for crushing chilli. This, however, may be a 

 ^secondary use, 



